Sits with Committee

Michael J. Padgett, Art Museum

Alan Stahl, Firestone Library

James C. Steward, Art Museum, Art and Archaeology

The Program in Hellenic Studies, under the general direction of the Council of the Humanities and with the support of the Stanley J. Seeger '52 Center for Hellenic Studies is designed for students interested in the interdisciplinary study of the Greek world, ancient Byzantine or modern, as well as the classical tradition. The program offers language courses in modern Greek and postclassical Greek (Hellenistic koine to Byzantine Greek); freshman seminars in Hellenic studies; introductory courses in Byzantine and modern Greek studies; upperclass seminars in classical, Byzantine, and modern Greek studies; and a senior thesis colloquium for concentrators in the program. These are complemented by cognate courses offered in several cooperating University departments.

Additional information about the program can be found at the program's website.

Admission to the Program

The program is open to undergraduates majoring in any department. Students should apply for admission during the sophomore or junior year. Students will be accepted into the program on the basis of interest and a coherent academic plan.

The formal requirements for admission are:

1. Satisfactory completion of the requirements for admission to any department with whose plan of study this interdepartmental program may be combined.

2. Satisfactory completion of HLS 107, 204, 206, 235, 240, 261, 346, 348, or 358, or a freshman seminar on a Hellenic studies topic approved by the program executive director.

Program of Study

Program concentrators may elect to follow one of three plans of study:

Plan A allows a specialization in the language and literature of modern Greece. Concentrators in this plan must satisfy a language requirement (HLS 107 or its equivalent).

Plan B provides for a broad-based interdisciplinary study of modern Greek culture, including literature in translation, history, politics, and anthropology.

Plan C offers a diachronic survey of the Hellenic tradition, including the classical, Byzantine, and modern Greek periods.

Each student works out an individual program of study in consultation with the program executive director. Students in all three plans of study must complete the following requirements:

1. Completion of at least one of the following: HLS 204, 206, 235, 240, 261, 263, 346, 348, or 358, normally during the sophomore year. Plan A concentrators must also complete HLS 107 or its equivalent.

2. Two upper-level HLS seminars or one upper-level HLS seminar and one upper-level cognate course.

3. A senior thesis with an appropriate Hellenic studies focus approved by the program executive director. For science and engineering majors, a substantial research paper on a Hellenic topic, approved by the program executive director.

4. Participation in senior thesis colloquium.

The Seeger Center also sponsors Hellenic Studies Workshops, a lecture series, and occasional colloquia that provide a forum for discussion of research in progress on all aspects of Greek civilization by faculty members, students, members of the Institute for Advanced Study, and visiting scholars.

Languages

Study Abroad

Program concentrators are encouraged to pursue further study and research in Greece during the summer months and, on occasion, during the academic year. Interested students may apply for Stanley J. Seeger study/travel fellowships through the Seeger Center.

Under the auspices of the Study Abroad Program, students may complement their academic work in Hellenic studies by enrolling for one or two terms at selected institutions in Greece or England. The Princeton-Oxford Exchange Program provides additional opportunities for students in Hellenic studies.

The program also offers scholarships to qualified Greek nationals who have been admitted to Princeton for study at the undergraduate level.

Certificate of Proficiency

Senior Thesis Colloquium. This noncredit colloquium is designed to help program concentrators formulate and carry out their senior thesis research and writing. In any given year the colloquium will be run by faculty in Hellenic studies and others who advise program concentrators. Discussion will focus on research methods and resources in Hellenic studies. Students will present periodic reports on the progress of their work.

Cognate Courses. A list of complete cognate courses may be found on the program's website. Any of these courses may provide an appropriate supplement to the program's core courses. Other courses may be added to this list with the approval of the appropriate department and the director of the program.

Courses

HLS 101
Elementary Modern Greek I
(also MOG 101)
Fall

Designed to serve as an introduction to the language of modern Greece. Practice in speaking, grammatical analysis, composition, and graded reading. Four classes. No credit is given for HLS 101 unless followed by HLS 102.
Staff

HLS 102
Elementary Modern Greek II
(also MOG 102)
Spring

A continuation of 101, aiming to develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing modern Greek in a cultural context. Classroom activities include videos, comprehension and grammar exercises, and discussions. Four classes.
Staff

HLS 105
Intermediate Modern Greek
(also MOG 105)
Fall

Advanced grammatical analysis, composition, and graded reading, with further practice in speaking. An introduction to themes in the Hellenic tradition through readings in modern Greek literature. Four classes. Prerequisite: 102 or instructor's permission.
Staff

HLS 107
Advanced Modern Greek
(also MOG 107)
Spring

Advanced composition and oral practice aimed at developing idiomatic written and spoken style. Discussions entirely in Greek. Introduces students to contemporary Greek culture and literature through the study of works by Cavafy, Sikelianos, Seferis, Elytis, Ritsos, and Anagnostakis, among others. Readings from articles on current Greek topics. Four classes. Prerequisite: 105 or instructor's permission.
Staff

HLS 205
Medieval Art in Europe (see ART 205)

HLS 206
Byzantine Art and Architecture (see ART 206)

HLS 212
Classical Mythology (see CLA 212)

HLS 217
The Greek World in the Hellenistic Age (see CLA 217)

HLS 240
Introduction to Postclassical Greek from the Late Antique to the Byzantine Era (see CLG 240)

HLS 302
Aristotle and His Successors (see PHI 301)

HLS 311
Topics in Greek Literature (see CLG 310)

HLS 324
The Classical Tradition (see COM 324)

HLS 326
Tragedy (see COM 326)

HLS 327
Topics in Ancient History (see CLA 327)

HLS 330
The Muslim Mediterranean (see HIS 330)

HLS 332
Communication and the Arts (see ECS 331)

HLS 334
Modern Transformations of Classical Themes (see CLA 334)

HLS 335
Studies in the Classical Tradition (see CLA 335)

HLS 337
The Ottoman Empire, 1300-1800 (see NES 437)

HLS 338
Greek Ethical Theory (see PHI 335)

HLS 343
The Civilization of the Early Middle Ages (see HIS 343)

HLS 346
Introduction to Byzantine Civilization
(also HIS 346)
Not offered this year
HA

The development of Byzantine civilization from the foundation of Constantinople in A.D. 330 to the city's fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1435. Within a chronological framework, the course analyzes the growth of a specifically medieval, Greek, Christian culture, which developed from the pagan, Greco-Roman background of late antiquity, and moves through medieval, Slavic, Islamic, and Western influences to the Renaissance. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Staff

HLS 358
Greeks, Turks, and Slavs: Nationalism in the Balkans
(also HIS 358)
Not offered this year
HA

Examines the rise of nationalism in the Balkans, beginning with an examination of Balkan society under the Ottomans and continuing up through the establishment of nation-states in the 19th and 20th centuries. Case studies will include Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania. Themes covered: social organization, prenational politics, imperialism, cultural and economic elites, the Ottoman heritage. One lecture, two preceptorials.
M. Greene

HLS 361
Special Topics in Modern Greek Civilization
(also COM 369)
Not offered this year
LA

An aspect or period of modern Greek civilization since the War of Independence (1821) as it is illuminated by literary, historical, and other relevant sources. Emphasis will be given to the cross-cultural context of the topic, including the relation of modern Greece to Western, Eastern, or Balkan cultures, or the Hellenic diaspora in America and elsewhere.
Staff

HLS 362
Special Topics in Byzantine Civilization
Not offered this year

An aspect of the civilization of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, from 312 to 1453, as illuminated by literary, historical, and other relevant sources. Emphasis will be given to the cross-cultural context of the topic, including relations of the Byzantine Empire with Sassanid Persia, the Arabs, the Slavs, and Western Europe. Two lectures, one preceptorial.
Staff

HLS 363
Special Topics in Hellenic Studies
Not offered this year

The diachronic development of a theme, genre, or institution, with emphasis on the continuities and discontinuities between successive periods of Hellenic culture--ancient, Byzantine, and modern. The approach will be interdisciplinary and cross-cultural.
Staff

HLS 364
Special Topics in Film History (see VIS 344)

HLS 410
Seminar. Greek Art (see ART 410)

HLS 411
Seminar in Political Theory (see POL 411)

HLS 430
Seminar. Medieval Art (see ART 430)

HLS 441
Seminar. Renaissance Art (see ART 440)

HLS 461
Great Cities of the Greek World
(also ART 461)
Not offered this year
LA

An intensive interdisciplinary study of the evolution of a city, such as Athens, Constantinople, Thessaloniki, Alexandria, or Antioch, where Greek civilization flourished through successive periods, from antiquity to the present. A study of the form and the image of the city as seen in its monuments and urban fabric, as well as in the works of artists, writers, and travelers. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.
Staff